Social Media Marketing: Using Traditional Tactics to Market Your Law Firm

When we think of marketing, we usually think of the traditional face-to-face kind of marketing: the use of TV commercials, radio ads, billboards, and other forms of mass media. Marketing also refers to various activities that a business undertakes to promote or sell a product or service to the general public. In today’s market, there are so many ways to go about marketing. The New York Times recently defined marketing as, “the science of telling great stories so compelling that individuals lose interest in their own lives.” As we have seen in the recent economic news, selling is the only business activity remaining afloat amidst all of the challenges.

To stay relevant in a competitive market, business owners and marketers need a marketing strategy that is flexible enough to adapt to current and emerging marketing trends, while also providing the necessary tools to communicate with current and potential clients. Social media marketing provides an ideal platform for these adjustments. For these reasons, lawyers are incorporating social media marketing into their marketing mix. Here are 4 reasons why lawyers should integrate this marketing strategy with their legal profession.

Lawyers who are trying to increase sales are using social media marketing to create a presence, increase exposure, and build a profile for their practice. Social media marketing can help them increase sales by allowing them to connect directly with their demographic clients. For example, a lawyer who is associated with a law firm may create a profile on a social networking site such as Facebook or Twitter to connect with active lawyers in his or her community. He or she could then share information on current case studies, potential cases, and tips on handling the legal system effectively.

Lawyers that seek to improve the efficiency of their marketing mix can do so by taking advantage of the interactive nature of social networking sites. Law websites can gain rankings in search engines by posting user reviews of services. In many cases, the more positive the feedback, the better the ranking. Lawyers can use their social networking profiles to solicit professional reviews on a case-by-case basis, which can lead to increased client referrals.

Lawyers that have a limited marketing budget but are committed to increasing their market penetration strategy should consider investing in a digital marketing strategy for their practice. Digital marketing allows them to develop an online presence and attract new clients through website design and other creative online marketing strategies. This strategy will include pay per click advertising campaigns, blogs, and other content-based marketing activities. By investing in digital marketing, lawyers can improve the overall effectiveness of their SEO strategy and increase the likelihood that their marketing efforts will increase business revenues. For these reasons, lawyers should strongly consider a digital marketing strategy.

Lawyers should also be familiar with what social media marketing is because it effectively combines elements of traditional and contemporary marketing. In fact, social media marketing is defined as using the internet, blogs, and other forms of communications to enhance and encourage relationships between business owners and their clients. Social media marketing is often used in conjunction with traditional marketing techniques. These tactics allow lawyers to connect directly with their clients, which is beneficial to both sides of the relationship. However, it also allows lawyers to establish a social presence beyond their traditional networking circles.

A final example of the types of marketing that lawyers should consider using is a campaign to raise awareness about a particular law firm or legal issue. This type of marketing effort is best suited for lawyers who are new to marketing their practices and have not yet developed a strong reputation. In this case, the lawyer may choose to engage in traditional marketing tactics such as direct mail, television advertisements, magazine advertisements, or newspaper ads. Alternatively, the lawyer may opt to make a strategic connection with a local business that could provide the expertise necessary to create a word-of-mouth marketing strategy. The ultimate goal of this tactic would be to increase business revenue. However, this type of marketing strategy requires knowledge about the legal issues at hand and a commitment to do all that is needed to successfully promote the law firm or the attorney’s services.

All marketing is an attempt to gain profit. Law firms should therefore use all available avenues to market themselves effectively. However, the types of marketing techniques that work the best are those that target potential clients in the digital age and that incorporate various tactics that can help them build a strong reputation online. Lawyers that effectively utilize the tools that exist to help them market their law firms can ensure that they build strong business reputations by using effective marketing tactics that include social media, blogging, and advertising through traditional channels.